Sheet feeding mechanism



. 5, 1939. A. NOVICK SHEET FEEDING MECHANISM Filed Dec.v 4, 1937 4 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR. Abra/mm A/av/clr.

ATTORNEYS Dec. 5, 1939. A. NOVICK 2,182,595

SHEET FEEDING MECHANISM Filed Dec. 4, 1937 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 v INVENTOR. Ana/7am Nov/ck. BY W 4 M ATTORNEYS I Dec. 5, 1939. A. NOVICK SHEET FEEDING MECHANISM Filed Dec. 4, 1937 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 Abraham IVOV/C/f. BY 72 .1

Arrows Dec. 5, 1939.

A. NOVICK SHEET FEEDING MECHANISM Filed Dec. 4, 193'. 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR- Abra/ram 'A/ow'c/r. BY 02 A ATTORNEY 5 Patented Dec. 5, 1939 SHEET FEEDING MECHANISM Abraham Novick, Flushing, N. Y., assignor to F. L, Smithe Machine (10., Inc., New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York i Application December 4, 1937, Serial No. 178,037

6 Claims.

This invention relates to machinery for feeding paper sheets or blanks from a stack, and more particularly to means for supplying the sheets or blanks in stack form with the top of the stack located in proper cooperative relation to the feeding instrumentalities.

The invention is in the nature of an improvement upon the invention disclosed in my pending application Serial No. 89,083 filed July 6, 1936, for Envelope transfer and feeding mechanism, and the present improvements may advantageously be incorporated in a machine of the kind illustratively disclosed in that application.

Such a machine comprises in its general organization an oscillating suction picker for starting the blanks singly away from the stack, mechanism for taking control of and feeding the blanks as they are started away from the stack by the suction picker, an elevator for supporting the stack, and means for automatically raising the elevator as the stack is depleted to maintain the top of the stack at a proper level for the action of the suction picker upon the topmost blank.

Insuch a machine, it becomes necessary from time to time, to replenish the stack of blanks in the stack. When such replenishment is necessary, the elevator must be made ready to receive a replenishing supply of sheets or blanks and then n raised to bring the top of the replenished stack into position for cooperation with the picker and with the other sheet handling instrumentalities. For this purpose, the elevator is disconnected from the automatic elevator operating means so that it can be lowered and, having been manually lowered, it is then raised manually to the proper position for operation according to the height of the stack which it supports.

In accordance with the present invention, an elevator is provided, together with a normal driving means, for raising the elevator automatically as the stack is depleted, and provision is made as heretofore for disconnecting the elevator from the automatic drive when it is desired to lower the elevator. When thus disconnected, the elevator immediately falls by gravity, under the control of the attendant, to its lowermost position where it receives a fresh supply of blanks or sheets.

In accordance with the present invention, provision is made of an auxiliary power drive for quickly raising the elevator precisely to its correct operating level or range after the blank supply has been replenished.

To this end it is a feature of the invention that power driving means is provided for the elevator, together with control mechanism responsive to the arrival of the top of the stack at the proper operating level for automatically discontinuing the power drive.

It is a feature of the invention that the auxiliary power drive and the automatic drive are not inharmonious with one another, that is to say, that the auxiliary power driving mechanism can be left intact and operatively connected during operation of the automatic drive, and the automatic driving mechanism can be left intact and operatively connected during operation of the auxiliary power drive without the occurrence of any conflict ineither case.

In accordance with a practical and advantageous embodiment of the invention, the auxiliary driving means desirably comprises an electric motor Whose operating circuit includes twoswitches. The opening of either switch renders the motor idle. One of the switches is connected to a feeler which must be depressed into stack intercepting position in order for the switch to be held closed. The second switch is manually closed after the first switch has been set to closed position. The motor is thereupon operated to raise the stack until the top of the stack displaces the feeler sufficiently to cause the first switch to spring open. Since this stops the motor, the ieeler switch is effective to terminate the action of the auxiliary power drive with the top of the stack located in proper operating position.

Other objects and advantages will hereinafter appear. V

In'the drawings forming part of this specification and illustrating a practical and advantageous embodiment of the invention,

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary view in side elevation, partly broken away, of a portion of an envelope making machine embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary plan view of substantially the same portion of the machine illustrated in Fig. 1; i

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary view, similar to Fig. l,

- but on a larger scale than Fig. l, which illustrates only the mechanism in the immediate region of the top of a stack which is in sheet delivering position;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary view of the same part of the machine seen in Fig. 3, the view being taken, however, from the opposite side of the machine;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary detail view, illustrating particularly the feeler control switch with the feeler just about to trip the switch to an open condition;

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 5 showing the switch tripped and the feeler cammed upward out of the way of the stack and the instrumentalities for operating on the stack;

Fig. 7 is a view in front elevation, illustrating principle of the auxiliary motor operating circuit.

As previously mentioned, the illustrative machine is, in general, the same as the machine disclosed in my pending application Serial No. 89,083. The elevator mechanism is generally like the elevator mechanism disclosed in my pending application Serial No. 89,085 filed July 6, 1936, for Envelope machinery.

Briefly, the blank feeding mechanism is designed to take blanks singly from the top of a stack I, and to transfer them onto a conveyor 2, which conveys the blanks toward the operating instrumentalities of the machine. The instrumentalities for transferring the blanks comprise fast on the shaft to operate the latter.

a suction picker 3, Fig. 3, carried upon an arm 4, and guided by a link 5. The arm 4 is fast upon a rock shaft 5, while the link 5 is pivotally connected to the machine frame in a manner shown in my co-pending application Serial No. 89,083. Oscillation of the rock shaft 5 causes the picker to move from a position in engagement with the top of the stack l, upward to a position like that illustrated in Fig. 3, and then to return again into engagement with the stack. The rock shaft 5 is operated from a earn 8, fast on a continuously rotating shaft 5. A follower roller I5, is carried by a bell crank lever H, which lever is pivoted at I2 upon the machine frame. A spring [3 connected to one arm of the lever H and to a pin l4 fixed on the machine frame urges follower roller it toward the periphery of the cam 8. The follower carrying arm of the bell crank lever H is connected through a link l5 with a crank I511 The picker carries the forward margin of the topmost blank upward to a position between a feeding cylinder i5 composed of longitudinally spaced sections which are fast on the shaft 9, and a plurality of pressing rollers ll carried by arms 18. The arms l8 are moved toward and from the periphery of the cylinder l5 by means not shown, and in timed relation to the action of the picker so that when the margin of a blank is carried upward by the picker it is pressed by the rollers l1 into frictional engagement with the cylinder 16 and caused to be fed forward by the cylinder. Additional rollers I9 cooperate with the cylinder to continue the advance of and assist in guiding the separated blank to the conveyor 2.

The mechanism for supporting and elevating the stack l comprises an elevator frame 20, Figs. 1 and 2, which carries a supporting platform 2|. The elevator platform is guided for movement in an upward inclined direction between forward guide members 22 and rear guide members 23. The rear end of the elevator is connected with the opposite ends of a chain 24 which chain is trained upon upper sprocket wheel 25 and a lower guide roller 26 and is driven by the sprocket 25. The forward end of the elevator is connected to the lower ends of rack bars 21 which are guided in channeled portions of the guide 22. The rack bars are driven by pinions 28 fast on a shaft 29. A sprocket 35, also fast on the shaft 29, transmits motion through a chain 3| to a sprocket 32 fast on a shaft 33. The sprocket 25 which drives the chain 24 is also fast upon the shaft 35. The driving ratios from the shaft 29 to the rack bars 27 and to the chain 24 are such that the front and rear ends of the elevator are caused to move up and down in unison so that the attitude of the elevator is never changed.

The automatic drive of the elevator to maintain the top of the stack in proper position is produced by the oscillation of the picker operating shaft 6. The crank !5a which is fast on the shaft 6, carries a pivoted pawl 34, Figs. 3 and '7, which cooperates with a ratchet wheel 35. The wheel 35 is rotatably mounted upon the shaft 6. As the arm I5a swings clockwise (as viewed in Fig. 3) the pawl moves. in a direction to advance the ratchet wheel 35, that is to turn the ratchet wheel clockwise. The ratchet wheel is held against retractive movement by a pawl 36 which is pivoted at 3'! on'the machine frame, and which is urged toward the ratchet wheel by a spring 33.

As the oscillating arm 55a moves toward the left, the pawl is carried backward with relation to the ratchet wheel. Generally the pawl will not be carried back a full tooth space of the ratchet wheel because leftward movement of the arm l5a is limited by contact of the picker with the top of the stack, the picker being yieldingly actuated toward the stack by the spring. l3. As successive blanks are removed, however, the picker will move farther and farther downward at each stroke and eventually it will move far enough downward to permit the pawl 34 to be carried a full tooth space backward ,so that at the next upward stroke of the picker the ratchet wheel will be advanced a tooth space to bring the top of the stack up to its maximum level.

The ratchet wheel 35 has fast with it a sprocket 39 which through a chain 40 drives a sprocket 4!. The sprocket 4| is loose upon a shaft 42 fast on the machine frame. The sprocket has fast upon it a gear 43 which drives a gear 44 fast on a. shaft 45. The shaft 45 also has fast upon it, at the opposite side of the machine, Fig. 2, a gear 48 which drives a gear 41. The gear 4'! is loosely mounted upon the shaft 29 and carries a toothed clutch member 48 which is normally engaged with a complementary toothed clutch member 49 splined to the shaft 29.

So long as the clutch members 48 and 49 are engaged the described operating train is effective to drive the shaft 29 and hence the rack bars 21 from the ratchet wheel 35. The clutch member 49 is normally urged into engagement with the clutch member 4-8 by means of a spring 50. A clutch releasing key 5| which is non-circular in form and which is rotatably mounted upon the machine frame and provided with an operating handle (not shown), is disposed in a circumferential groove 52 of the clutch member 49. When the key 5| is in the position illustrated in Fig. 2, the clutch members are engaged, but when the key member 5| is turned at right angles to that position the clutch member 49 is moved out of engagement with the clutch member 48 and is retained in its disengaged position. A hand wheel 53 fast on the shaft 29, may now be utilized to control the lowering of the elevator to its lowermost position, said elevator being free to fall by gravity upon disengagement of the clutch. When the elevator has been thus lowered, and has been reloaded with blanks, the key member 5| is turned to permit reengagement of the clutch. It is at this point that the auxiliary power drive for the elevator is to be brought into play in order to raise the stack 1, along stack guides 54 into position to cooperate with the picker 3, and with the other blank separating instrumentalities.

The auxiliary power drive comprises a motor 55, Figs. 1 and 2, mounted on a bracket 56. The motor shaft has fast upon it a pulley 51 which through a belt 58 drives a pulley 59. The pulley 59 is loosely mounted upon a shaft 60, and carries a pawl Bl which is urged by a spring 62, Fig. 3,

into engagement with a ratchet wheel 63 fast on the shaft 60. The shaft 69 is supported by a suitable bracket Ella on the machine frame and has fast on it a sprocket 94 on which the chain 40 is trained.

Rotation of the motor causes the pulley 59 and the pawl 61 to travel in a counter-clockwise diautomatic raising of the elevator.

rection about the axis of the shaft 69. During its rotation the pawl El drives the ratchet wheel 63 in a counter-clockwise direction, and hence drives the chain 49 in the same direction that it is normally driven by the sprocket 39 during the From what has been said concerning the train connecting the chain 40 with the shaft 29, it is evident that with the clutch 48, 49 engaged, the motor will rapidly raise the elevator and the stack of blanks supported on the elevator.

It is important that over-feeding of the elevator by the motor be avoided, and hence provision is made to automatically discontinue the operation of the motor upon the top of the stack reaching a proper level. To this end the electrical circuit for operating the motor is made to include two switches, the arrangement being diagrammatically illustrated in Fig. 8.

The motor may be supplied with current from any suitable source comprising line conductors 65 and 55. These conductors are connected respectively to the terminals of the motor circuit by a switch 61. The current may be regarded as passing along a conductor 68 through the motor 69 and thence along a conductor 10 to a feeler controlled switch 1!. When the switch H is closed the current may pass through a conductor 72 and thence through a manually controlled switch 13 to a conductor 14, the last mentioned conductor being conductively connected to the line conductor 56 through the switch Bl.

Without going into detail for the moment, the operation of the circuit may be briefly outlined as follows:

The switch 1! is first closed and this permits the feeler IE to drop into position to be engaged and moved upward by the top of the stack as the stack nears its final elevated position. The presence of the feeler in stack engaging position maintains the switch ll closed. The normally open, manually operable switch 13 is now moved to closed position and held in that position, setting the motor into operation and causing it to raise the stack. When the stack engages the feeler 15 it thrusts the feeler upward, permitting the switch H to open, so that the operation of the motor is arrested even though the operator continues to hold the switch l3 closed for a time after the opening of switch I I Details of the feeler and of the switch controlling mechanism associated therewith are best il lustrated in Figs. 3, 4 and 5. The feeler i5 is in the form of a finger or arm fast on a rock shaft 16 supported in a sleeve 19a extending inwardly from the machine frame, Fig. 2. The rock shaft '16 also has fast upon it an arm T! which cooperates with a switch controlling arm 18 pivoted at '59 upon a fixed bracket 80. A plunger BI is slidingly mounted in the arm 78 and passes through the arm. The plunger has a switch operating head 82 at its left end which is urged toward the left by a spring 83. The spring 93 surrounds the plunger 8! and is interposed between the arm l8 and the head 82. An enlargement 84 on the tail of the plunger limits leftward movement of the plunger relative to the arm 18. The arm 18 is provided with a handle 85, whereby the arm can be'moved toward the left to-press the head82 against a switch button 86 of the switch H. The switch may be of the conventional push button type and is not, therefore, illustrated in detail.

The force of the arm 18 is yieldingly transmitted to the switch button 86v through the spring83, but the springf 83 is made stiff enough to. assure that the switch will be firmly closed when the arm 18 is in the position illustrated in Fig. 4. When the arm .18 is in the position illustrated in Fig. 4, a shoulder member 8! which forms part of the arm 18 moves clear of the arm ll permitting it to drop to the position of Fig. 4, in engagement with a stationary stop 88. When the stack in rising moves the feeler 15 upward, the arm 11 is swung clockwise until its fiat end face moves clear of the side face of the shoulder 'member 81 on the arm 18. The arm 11 is provided with an inclined camming face 89 for engaging the edge of the shoulder on the member 81, and when this inclined face comes opposite the shoulder, as in Fig. 5, the arm 11 is no longer capable of holding the arm 18 toward the left. The spring 83 thereupon expands, carrying the arm 18 toward the right and causing it quickly to carry the arm 11 and the feeler 15 upward to a position like that illustrated in Fig. 6, with the arm Tl resting against a stationary stop 90. This action relieves the button 86 of all substantial pressure, permitting the switch II to open and thereby break the motor operating circuit.

The automatic elevator operating means do not have to be disconnected during this operation, and hence, the automatic operating means immediately assumes control without any more ado.

The fact that the automatic and the auxiliary means can operate each without interfering with the other, arises from the fact that pawl and ratchet mechanism is utilized in each train and in each instance at a point in advance of that at which the trains merge, i. e., in advance of the chain 49. When the motor is disconnected, and the automatic means is operating, the ratchet wheel 63 is simply rotated in a counterclockwise direction while the pulley 59 and the pawl 6| remain stationary but ready. When the motor is driving the elevator, the ratchet wheel 35 is driven by the chain, but the pawl 34 simply rides over the teeth of the ratchet wheel 35 in a position to resume the driving of the ratchet wheel as soon as the operation of the motor isdiscontinued.

In Fig. 4, the switch box 9| for housing the switchll is shown connected to a switch box 92 for housing the switch 13 by a conductor conduit 93. The conduit 93 houses the conductor 12 and a portion of the conductor 10. A manually operable switch button 94 is shown associated with the switch box 92 for manually closing the switch 13. The switch automatically opens as soon as pressure is withdrawn fromthe button 94..

Q It is desirable that the shaft of the motor 35 and the pulley 59 be brought quickly to rest as soon as the feeler control switch is opened so as to avoid over-driving of the elevator through inertia of the parts. To this end, a brake 95 is provided in association with the motor shaft for cooperating with a brake drum 96 fast on the motor shaft. The brake acts constantly on the drum 96, but since the motor shaft only operates briefly and at rather rare intervals, this is not objectionable either from the standpoint of overheating or of power consumption. The brake comprises a pair of shoe members or blocks 91 and 98 which jointly embrace the drum 96. The blocks are pivotally connected at their lower ends to a connecting link 98a. A bolt 99 having a head portion formed with wings, is passed freely through the block 98 and threaded into the block 91 at the upper ends of the blocks. A spring I00 encircles the shank of the bolt between the bolt head and the block drum. The normal pressure of the brake members against the drum may be adjusted by turning the bolt 99 either in a direction to increase or to relieve the pressure of the spring I00. The brake is held against rotation with the drum 95 by means of an arm IOI carried by the block 9? and connected at its outer end to a spring I92. The opposite end of the spring I02 is connected to a pin I03 fixed on the stationary bracket 56.

I have described what I believe to be the best embodiments of my invention. I do not wish, however, to be confined to the embodiments shown, but what I desire to cover by Letters Patent is set forth in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a sheet feeding mechanism having means for removing sheets singly from the top of a stack whose top is at a predetermined operative level, the combination of a sheet supporting elevator and alternative elevator driving means, the one automatically effecting minute upward adjustments of the elevator within the range of the operative level as sheets are withdrawn from the stack, and the other for quickly and continuously moving the elevator upward from a remote loading position to raise the top of the stack to the operative level, and means operatively connecting the two driving means to the elevator comprising separate pawl devices arranged so that either pawl device may remain operatively associated with the elevator but ineffective while the other is effective, said connecting means also including a clutch common to the two driving means, and means for disengaging said clutch for enabling the elevator to be disconnected from both driving means simultaneously.

2. In a sheet feeding mechanism having means for removing sheets singly from the top of a stack whose top is at a definite operative level, the combination of an elevator for supporting the stack, said elevator being retractable to loading position, and power operating means for quickly and mechanically raising the elevator to restore the top of the stack to the original definite operative level after loading, comprising a motor, means operatively connecting the motor to raise the elevator, an electrical circuit for supplying current to the motor comprising two separate switches connected in series with the motor and with one another, means for manually closing the two switches, and means for automatically opening only one of the switches when the top of the stack reaches the operative level, comprising a feeler disposed in the path of the ascending stack.

3. In a sheet feeding mechanism having means for removing sheets singly from the top of a stack whose top is at a definite operative level, the combination of an elevator for supporting the stack, said elevator being retractable to loading position, and power operating means for quickly and mechanically raising the elevator to restore the top of the stack to the original definite operative level after loading, comprising a motor, means operatively connecting the motor to raise the elevator, an electrical circuit for the motor comprising two switches connected in series with the motor and with one another, means for manually closing one of the switches, a device for closing the other switch comprising a member movable to switch closing position, a spring urging said member away from switch closing position, a latch for retaining the switch closing member in switch closing position against the action of said spring, and a feeler disposed in the path of theascending stack to be displaced upward by the stack, said feeler being connected to operate the latch to an inefiective position as an incident of the upward movement of the feeler.

4. In a sheet feeding mechanism having means for removing sheets singly from the top of a stack whose top is at a definite operative level, the combination of anelevator for supporting the stack, said elevator being retractable to loading position, and power operating means for quickly and mechanically raising the elevator to restore the top of the stack to the original definite operative level after loading, comprising a motor, means operatively connecting the motor to raise the eievator, an electrical operating circuit for the motor comprising a switch, and a feeler disposed in the path of the ascending stack and connected to cause the switch to open when the feeler is moved upward by the stack, and a brake constantly acting on the motor shaft while the switch is closed to arrest the shaft promptly when the switch is opened.

5. In a sheet feeding mechanism having means for removing sheets singly from the top of a stack whose top is at a definite operative level, the combination of an elevator for supporting the stack, said elevator being retractible to loading position, and power operating means for quickly raising the elevator to restore the top of the stack to the original definite operative level after loading, comprising an electric motor, means operatively connecting the motor to raise the elevator, an electrical circuit for supplying current to the motor comprising .a switch connected in series with the motor, a device for closing the switch comprising a member movable to switch closing position, a spring urging said member away from switch closing position, a latch for retaining the switch closing member in switch closing position against the action of said spring, and means operated by the upward movement of the stack to release said latch.

6. In a sheet feeding mechanism having means for removing sheets singly from the top of a stack whose top is at a definite operative level, the combination of an elevator for supporting the stack, said elevatorbeing retractible to loading position, and power operating means for quickly raising the elevator to restore the top of the stack to the original definite operative level after loading, comprising an electric motor, means operatively connecting the motor to raise the elevator, an electrical circuit for supplying current to the motor comprising a switch connected in series with the motor, a device for operating said switch comprising a slidable member, yielding means urging said member against said switch to throw said switch into closed position, and means, including a feeler device disposed in the path of the ascending stack to be displaced upward by the stack, for releasing said yielding means to thereby permit said switch to return to its open position and stop said motor.

ABRAHAM NOVICK. 

